Mixing valve unit



Oct. 27, 1964 AF. cRAvlTs MIXING VALVE UNIT Filed Feb. 12, 1962 UnitedStates Patent C 3,154,101 MIXING VALVE UNIT Phillip Cravits, Burbank,Calif., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Cronarne, Incorporated,Chicago, lill., a corporation of illinois Filed Feb. 12, 1962, Ser. No.172,563 3 Claims. (Ci. 137-6414) The invention relates to a valvestructure genenally,

and particularly to a valve structure having utility in a fountain brusharrangement utilized in a manual dishwashing operation or the like.

It will be understood that manual fountain brushes per se are usuallyassociated with a kitchen sink unit. The assembly comprises 1acombination brush and nozzle through which is transported a washingWater, said brush and nozzle assembly being incorporated in a handlearrangement whereby the housewife may concurrently scrub her disheswhile the `arrangement delivers washing water thereto. Additionally, thearrangement is provided with a valve having a manually operablepush-button associated therewith for convenient operation by thehousewife. The valve is in communication with a supply of cleansingagent in liquid form, such as soap or detergent, whereby upon manualdepression of the push-button, the housewife may bleed to thedishwlashing water a measured quantity of cleansing agent which aids inthe dish cleaning operation.

With the function in mind, it will be understood that devices of thisnature must initially provide a valve comprising a positive andmechanically fool-proof seal so that when the push-button is in theclosed condition, the housewife is assured that clear, uncontaminatedwater will be delivered for the dish rinsing operation. This requirementis dictated by the fact that gummy soap or detergent residueaccidentally left deposited on the dishes is per se a health hazard.

It will also be understood that the general flow rate of water utilizedin this operation may usually be anticipated within determined ranges.With this thought in mind, adequate valve design should reasonablyaccommodate ow of detergent to the washing water having inherent thereina controlled maximum dispensing charracteristic per unit of time. Thisfeature avoids uncon- `trolled, excessive detergent use and has theeffect of rendering a particular brush dishwashing device morecommercially eiiicient.

A further problem encountered relative to the use of this type ofequipment -involves :the fact that the relatively thick liquidsuspension of the soap, detergent or the like tends to congeal or hardenin the equipment during periods of non-use. It has been found that thiscongealing or :contaminant build-up occurs particularly in the areas ofvalve ports or orifices and the like. Of course, build-up of congealedor crusted material in these areas alfects the liquid flowcharacteristic of the entire brush arrangement. It has been found, insome cases, such material completely blocks detergent dispensingpassages or orifices effectively rendering the equipment inoperative.

Fountain brush equipment additionally must meet the demands of rathersevere and frequent use, therefore, the design should reasonably providesound mechanical operation While affording the advantages of simplicityin structure and economy in construction.

The herein disclosed invention remedies the mentioned disadvantages -andfurther provides the referred todesirable characteristics. Generally,the device here under consideration comprises a manually operable valvearrangement having associated therewith an inlet port and an outletport, said valve arrangement communicating with a source of dispensedliquid such as the mentioned ICC soap, detergent or the like. Within thevalve, movable seal means are provided and arranged upon valve operationto mechanically vary the effective fluid transmission apertures of bothof said ports.

Specifically, the valve comprises a detergent dispensing line incommunication with a central valve chamber. An outlet pont communicateswith the mentioned chamber and has its other end in communication with aventuri section of a main water passage. It will be noted that in thedesign disclosed, the axes of the dispensing line and the outlet passageare in angular relation to each other. The mentioned valve chamber issealed at one end thereof by a flexible closure element secured to thewalls of the chamber. Above the closure element, a manual ypushbutton isprovided which extends outboardly of the brush handle to provide easymanual manipulation. The lower end of the push-button is arranged tophysically abut the mentioned closure element. Within the chamber, laseal element, which is preferably a cylindrical ball, is normallydisposed in closure relationship with the detergent dispensing line byvirtue of the biasing action of a compressed helical spring having itsopposed ends in engagement with the ball seal land the wall of thechamber. The ball normally is located immediately adjacent the closureelement, the latter, as noted, being abut/ted by the lower end of thepush-button.

From this brief description 0f the structure, it will be evident thatupon manual depression of the push-button, the ball closure seal iscaused to rock from its seat in closure relationship with the detergentdispensing line and into mechanical alignment with the Ioutlet port.Upon release of the push-button, the mentioned coil spring is operativeto return the ball to closure relationship with the dispensing line andthis motion is also effective to return the push-button to its normallyraised position.

The above mentioned advantages and others will become apparent whenreference is had to the following specification ,and to the associateddrawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a typical dishwashing brusharrangement;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the valve arrangement shownin FIGURE 2.

Directing attention to FIGURE l, it will be again noted that :a typicaldishwashing brush assembly is indicated generally at 2. The brush.assembly includes a handle 4 for manual grasping thereof and a multiplepassage hose 6 communicating with the end of the handle 4. A nozzlesection 8 extends forwardly from the handle 4 and rnay be demountablyconnected to said handle in any conventional manner as, for example, bythreaded bushing 10. A brush arrangement 12 is mounted on the extremityof the nozzle section 8 whereby the brushes 14 thereon are convenientlyarranged to engage a dish or the like while concurrently therewith aplurality of fine streams of cleansing Water are deposited on the dishvia structure within the brush head 12 Iand in the well known manner.

The hose 6, las noted, conventionally contains a plurality of passages(not shown). It will be understood, however, that one of the passages isconnected in the usual manner to a Water supply and communicates withWater passage 16 Within the brush handle 4. Another pas-sage (not shown)of the hose 6 may be con- Ventiorrally connected to any dispensed liquidsupply such as a detergent or soap reservoir' or the like. Again, saiddetergent dispensing line is arnanged to communicate with detergentdispensing line 18 in the handle 4.

Considering FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be understood that the handle 4,which may be of plastic construction as at 20, is provided with a bore22, said bore 22 communicating with a counterbore 24, the latter beingexposed to the surface of the handle 4. The counter-bore 24 may bethreaded `as at 26 and receives a push-button mounting collar element 28by threadable reception therein. The button retaining collar 2Stelescopically receives push-button 30 for retention therein, saidpush-button being preferably made of a suitable plastic material andhaving a manually 'actuatable cap portion 32 extending above the handleat surface 4. The push-button Si? extends downwardly through thecounter-bore 24 and is provided with a pressure knob 34 at the lower endthereof. A flexible closure element 36 is positioned at the lower end ofthe counter-bore 24 and in shouldered engagement with the inwardlyprojecting wall which defines the bore or chamber 22. In this position,the ilexible closure element 36 denes the upper element of the cavity22. The push-button retaining collar 28 pressure engages the annularportion of the closure element 36 to iirmly lock same against the wallsof the aperture 22 and to provide a positive seal at that point.

As earlier noted, the dispensing passage 18 is provided in the handle 4and has its inner end communicating with the chamber 22. At the lowerside of the chamber 22, an output port 40 is provided, said output portextending generally downwardly to a point whereat it communicates as at42 with venturi section 44 of the water passage tube 16. In `thepreferred embodiment, the outlet port 40 is provided with a relativelylarge cross-sectional area at its point of communication with thechamber 22 and tapers downwardly ltherefrom to a relatively smallercross-sectional area at its point of communication with the venturisection 44 of the water passage 16.

To provide means for controlling flow of dispensed liquid through thevalve, a ball 48 is movably positioned within chamber 22. Said ball 4Sis preferably formed of non-corrosive material such as stainless `steelor the like. An aperture or cavity Sil is formed in the wall and inopposed aligned relationship with the longitudinal axes of thedispensing passage 18. A helical coiled spring 52 has one end disposedwithin the cavity 50 and extends outwardly therefrom to project into thechamber 22 whereat it is in pressured engagement with the adjacent sideof the ball 48. In the preferred embodiment, the spring S2 may becomposed of a suitable material such as stainless steel and is alsoprovided with coils having an increasing pitch diameter whereby itsrelatively large end receives and cradles a substantial segment of thearcuate surface of the ball 48. It will thus be understood that thespring 52 acts to normally bias the ball 48 into sealing engagement withthe dispensing passage 18 as at the seat 54, thereby providing closureof the dispensing passage 18 `and preventing flow therethrough.

Briey describing the operation of the disclosed arrangement, it will beunderstood that when the brush arrangement iS in use, water is normallyowing through the passage 16 to a point of dispensing at the brushes 14.As the water passes through the venturi section 44, a velocity increaseresults with a concomitant pressure drop in the area of communicationwith the outlet passage 40.

When the operator desires to dispense a portion of the liquid detergentor the like to the iiowing water, the pushbutton 30 is depressed whereby.the ball 48 is rocked downwardly .to a position shown in phantom linesas at 60 whereat it engages a portion of the peripheral edge of theoutlet passage 40 along only one side of the passage. In this position,the outlet passage 40 is not completely closed as a partial annularaperture exists around portions of the ball as shown. When the operatorreleases pressure on the push-button 30, the spring 52 again rockablybiases the ball 43 upwardly to seat same as at 54, thereby closing thepassage 18. Concurrently therewith, the biasing action of the spring 52exerts an upward pressure on the closure element 36 thereby returningthe push-button to its maximum upward position.

With the ball in its maximum depressed condition or in any intermediateposition thereof, depending on the degree of depression of thepush-button 30 whereby the valve is in open condition, it will beunderstood that the area of low pressure created in the venturi 44 actsto draw liquid detergent, in appropriate amounts, from the passage 18through the chamber 22, downwardly through the outlet port 4t), and intoappropriate `admixture with the moving water in the line 16. This, ofcourse, will result in view of the fact that an area of sub-atmosphericpressure is created in the venturi section 44 while the liquid in theline 1S is at atmospheric pressure.

It will thus be noted that the arrangement described provides amechanically sound positive seal to initially insure positive closure ofthe detergent dispensing line 18 except during periods of desiredactivation. Further, it will be noted that the rocking action of therelatively hard metallic ball 48 from the point of closure with thepassage 18 into mechanical relation with the upper edge of the outletport 46 provides a mechanical `action that operates to dislodge anyencrusted detergent material or the like which may form either at theoutlet point of the line 1S or at the inlet point of the outlet port 40.By proper size relationship between the ball 48, its seat as at 54, andthe dispensing line 13 and the opening of the Outlet port 40, adetermined maximum amount of dispensed liquid only may be allowed topass through the valve arrangement, thereby contributing tothe over allefliciency of the device as above noted.

Further, it will be readily understood that the arrangement is simpleand positive in operation in that the single biasing spring functionsnot only .as a positioning element for the ball 48, but also acts as aspring return for the push-button 30, thereby providing simplicity ofdesign and economy of construction.

Additionally, the tapered cross-section of the outlet passage 40 alsoprovides a venturi effect for the moving dispensed liquid from thepassage 18 through the chamber 22 and via the outlet passage port 40,thereby tending to increase its velocity and contributing to a properadmixture with the moving water in the line 16.

It is apparent from FIG. 3 that the valve chamber may be considered ashaving a tirst axis anda second axis with an inlet port on one side oflthe chamber on the rst axis and an outlet port on one side of thechamber on the second axis, with yielding means on the iirst axis on theside of the chamber opposite from the inlet valve biasing the valvemember towards its closed position and with a diaphragm forming a sideof the valve chamber adjacent the valve member and intersecting thesecond axis on the side of the chamber opposite from the outlet port.Thus one side of the valve member or ball 48 faces the diaphragm and theopposite side of the valve member faces the outlet port and is normallyspaced from the outlet port. From an inspection of FIG. 3, it isapparent that inward deflection of the diaphragm rocks the ball about aportion of the rim of the outlet port as a fulcrum. It is furtherapparent from FIG. 3 that the two ports are close together so that asthe ball approaches its limit position against a portion of the rim ofthe outlet port it progressively restricts the outlet port as itprogressively opens the inlet port. Thus the valve meters the flow ofdetergent at a restricted rate throughout the range of manual`adjustment of the valve in contrast with a conventional valve in whichthe rate of iiow rises steeply as the valve member approaches its limitopen position.

The disclosed arrangement is by way of illustration and not limitationand may be subject to modification without departing from the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve,

a valve chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port, with the axesof the two ports at van angle to each other;

a diaphragm forming a portion of the wall of the chamber and facingtowards the outlet port in the general direction of the axis o f theoutlet port;

a valve member in said chamber normally closing said inlet port,

one side of said valve member facing the diaphragm, the opposite side ofthe valve member facing said outlet port and being normally spacedtherefrom;

yielding means biasing the valve member towards its closed position; and

means to deflect said diaphragm inward against said valve member to rockthe valve member towards the outlet port about a portion of lthe rim ofthe inlet port as a fulcrum, the rims of the two ports being closetogether 'and .the portion of the rim of the outlet port that isfurtherest from the inlet port being positioned to serve as a stop tolimit the displacement movement of the valve member by the diaphragmwhereby the Valve member progressively restricts the outlet port as itapproaches its limit open position,

2. In a valve for controlling ow of additive uid from a source to aventuri zone in a. uid passage,

a valve chamber having a first axis and a second axis at leastapproximately perpendicular to each other;

an inlet port on one side of the chamber on the first axis incommunication with said source;

an outlet port on one side of the chamber on the second axis incommunication with said venturi zone;

a valve member in the chamber norm-ally closing said inlet port;

yielding means on said first axis on the side of the chamber oppositefrom the inlet port biasing the valve member towards its closedposition;

a diaphragm adjacent the valve member and intersecting said second axison the side of the chamber opposite from the outlet port; and

means to deflect the diaphragm inward against the valve member to rockthe valve member towards the outlet port about a portion of the rim ofthe inlet port as a fulcrum.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 in which said outlet port isprogressively tapered to accelerate the out- 15 ward flow into theVenturi zone..

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A VALVE, A VALVE CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET PORT AND AN OUTLET PORT,WITH THE AXES OF THE TWO PORTS AT AN ANGLE TO EACH OTHER; A DIAPHRAGMFORMING A PORTION OF THE WALL OF THE CHAMBER AND FACING TOWARDS THEOUTLET PORT IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF THE OUTLET PORT; AVALVE MEMBER IN SAID CHAMBER NORMALLY CLOSING SAID INLET PORT, ONE SIDEOF SAID VALVE MEMBER FACING THE DIAPHRAGM, THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THEVALVE MEMBER FACING SAID OUTLET PORT AND BEING NORMALLY SPACEDTHEREFROM; YIELDING MEANS BIASING THE VALVE MEMBER TOWARDS ITS CLOSEDPOSITION; AND